Do you like to crochet or knit? Do you want to learn? We need your help making lap blankets for nursing home residents

The Resiliency Center Knitting Circle is working on a project to deliver 180 lap blankets (36” x 36”) to patients in a local Nursing Home. Lap blankets benefit nursing home patients by providing physical and emotional warmth. They are a wonderful way to show love and support for someone in need of a warm hug every day.   

The mother of someone in our Knitting Circle inspired this project.  She spent the last three months of her life in a nursing home.  She was more fortunate than most.  Her family visited throughout the week and gave her love and care she needed.  As I’m sure you know, others are not as fortunate and do not have the benefit of care and visits from relatives and friends.  Although we cannot take the place of a caring family, we can show love to these individuals by providing them with a colorful blanket as a reminder that someone cares.

We are asking volunteers to knit or crochet washable lap blankets that are 36" x 36". Any colors, patterns, needle sizes are welcome. Just let your imagination and kind heart go wild.

Lap blankets completed so far have been crocheted (using a basic granny square) or knitted in panels that were joined after completion.  Any pattern you choose would be great. If you prefer, rather than knitting or crocheting a blanket of 36” x 36”, you can knit or crochet blocks of 12" x 12" and we will combine them with other squares we receive. There are web sites available on the internet such as ravelry.com with step-by-step instructions for learning to knit and crochet, along with patterns for all levels. Or, better yet, join us on the second Saturday of the month and we would love to teach you! Please register by logging in to: http://www.meetup.com/resiliencygatherings/  

Your lap blankets can be dropped off or mailed to:  

Jen Fusco Perry, LPC

The Resiliency Center   

602 S. Bethlehem Pike    

Ambler, PA  19002

If you have any questions, please send an email to:  warm.hugs180@gmail.com

Please note that we do not monitor email every day but will get back to you shortly. We are just a few people in a Knitting Circle* who are hoping that we can put a smile on someone’s face by giving them a warm lap blanket along with the knowledge that people care.

 

Please help us reach our goal. We cannot accomplish this mission without your help.

From Little “T’s” to Big “T’s”; Alleviating Stressors Using Trauma Focused Therapy Approaches

by Kathleen Krol, LCSW, RPT 

Life is stressful! No one is immune from experiencing stress, whether it is the day to day little “T’s” or the bigger life changing “T’s”. Little “T’s” are the fender-bender accidents, dissatisfaction with a critical boss, fear of giving a presentation or navigating through your child’s terrible two’s. Big “T’s” are the events that have a lasting impact; loss of a loved one, involvement in major accident, experiencing or witnessing violence or abuse. Little “T’s” are the situations that cause some sleepless nights, muscle tension, worry, intestinal problems, poor concentration, anxious or sad mood. Big “T’s” may include the same disturbances as the smaller “T’s” but may occur with more intensity or for longer duration of time. Big “T” symptoms also may include recurrent dreams or flashbacks of the event, detachment from others, irritability or angry outbursts, psychological distress and physiological reactivity to internal or external stimuli that remind one of the trauma.

In this article, I’d like to highlight three modalities; Sand Tray, Trauma Art Narrative Therapy and EMDR, that can be used in alleviating symptoms from little or big “T’s”.  All three approaches can be used with children, teens and adults.

Sand Tray provides choice of using either wet or dry trays of sand along with selected “miniatures”, objects which provide the medium for emotional expression and communicating one’s experience. Trauma is sensory based in that traumatic memories are encoded in both the body as well as the brain. The modality of sand has a kinesthetic quality that addresses the sensory component of trauma, the deeper emotional experience that is retained in the body itself. For children, sand tray provides a safe, natural way for them to express themselves without re-experiencing the traumatization of the original event. Adolescents and adults may experience emotional release through the use of symbolism and projection of feelings until the sand tray and miniatures.

Trauma Art Narrative Therapy (TANT) is a structured cognitively oriented technique which uses art as a modality for healing from trauma. With trauma, memories are often disconnected and fragmented. Trauma art pieces together these memories by guiding one to narrate the traumatic experience through a series of sequential drawings. As one draws “snapshots” of the event, integration of the emotional and cognitive components of the brain takes place and promotes healing. Preparation for this trauma work always includes establishing a safe point before and after the trauma. TANT is effective with both minor single incidents to major events that have had significant impact. Artistic ability is not needed to benefit from this modality and more spontaneous drawing is most effective.  

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation techniques such as eye movements, tapping or audio which stimulate both sides of the brain. When a traumatic event occurs, pieces of the trauma can remain stuck or frozen in the brain and nervous system. Bilateral stimulation helps “unlock stuck material” thereby allowing the mind and body to process the traumatic event. EMDR is often used with big “T” traumas but equally can be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of general anxiety and phobias or working through little “T’s” that can impact daily functioning, assist one in better managing stressors related to job, family, relationships and overcoming roadblocks to growth and development. Preparation includes developing resources in stress management and relaxation.

Kathleen Krol, LCSW, RPT is a independent practitioner at the Resiliency Center and also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist, who uses these three modalities along with Family and Play Therapy and Parent Education.  She works with children, teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, abuse and behavior issues. To learn more about any of these specialties’ or discuss how she might help you and your family, email kasiakrol17@verizon.net or call 215-289-3101, mailbox #1.

Accidents? by Dean Solon

are there accidents, truly accidents?  are there only accidents?  is each thing and every thing and any thing circumstantial, unrelated, uncaused, disconnected?  incidental and accidental, no more than coincidental?

is there sense, are there reasons?  is there continuity, and synchronicity, and co-incide-nce?  is there a God?  are there Masters, is there Mastery?

the hindus and the buddhists defy a finding...made after much seeking and soul searching, to accept what arises and to live with what is and to be ascribing no primal cause, no Determinable beginning and no explicable end...by deciding, by hypothesizing and theorizing, by determining, there is karma---Karma---giving cause, and effect, and reason, and explanation of this reality we are living in and of this consciousness we are living with.

following a trail, always attributing reason(s), wanting, wanting so much, for there to be sense, comfort, security, a floor and a ground to be standing on, sitting on, sleeping on, awaking on.

so the hold again loosens, as it must loosen.
so the need for answers, for the Answer, abates, subsides, falls aside, as it must abate, subside, fall aside.
perhaps there is a floor and a ground of all being.
perhaps there is no floor no ground.
perhaps there is this and that, perhaps there is not-this not-that.
perhaps there are limits and are terms of agreement.
perhaps there are no limitations, no regulations, no certainties.
perhaps there are rules relating and laws defining.
perhaps there is only experiencing and expressing the mysterious and the ineffable.

perhaps there is knowing.
perhaps there only is not-knowing.

As If by Dean Solon

we think, we believe this is our world.
OUR world.
as if     as if     as if
any world, let alone this world, is ours.
as if     as if     as if
any body, let alone this body, is mine.
as if     as if     as if
any body, let alone that body, is yours.

as if     as if     as if
any thought, any theory, is real and true.

as if
as if 
as if